


Over and Over

by Random_Inked_Thoughts



Category: Dream SMP - Fandom, Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Emotional Manipulation, Gen, Hurt TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Manipulation, Manipulative Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF), Scared TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-12
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-20 10:35:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30003582
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Random_Inked_Thoughts/pseuds/Random_Inked_Thoughts
Summary: The air around him was blackened and burnt. It stuck to his lungs and stole the breath from his lips. Tommy curled in on himself, tears streaking down his cheeks without really moving, shoulders shaking while remaining completely still. His fingernails dug into his skin, ripping it open, baring his insides for the void to see. The pain was dulled in here, the pain and the hurt and the tear of his skin over old scars.-----Dream brings Tommy back from the void once, fine. But then he does it over, and over, and over again. Isn't it supposed to have stopped hurting by now? (Includes no spoilers from Tommy's March 12th stream, in case you were worried!)
Relationships: Clay | Dream & TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 186





	Over and Over

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! So my new hobby is apparently posting right after Tommy does a big lore stream now. But I've had this thing in the works for DAYS and was editing it when he started, so I'm going to post it even though there isn't a single chance of it being canon complacent by this point lol
> 
> WARNING: this thing isn't nearly as happy or as well written as Seven Days Till Sunlight. It involves a manipulative friendship which is viewed as a positive thing. I don't think manipulative relationships are positive or should be glorified, this is simply a thought experiment that I toyed around with and wrote in my spare time. Be safe out there, everyone. :)

The air around him was blackened and burnt. It stuck to his lungs and stole the breath from his lips. Tommy curled in on himself, tears streaking down his cheeks without really moving, shoulders shaking while remaining completely still. His fingernails dug into his skin, ripping it open, baring his insides for the void to see. The pain was dulled in here, the pain and the hurt and the tear of his skin over old scars. 

Nothing had ever hurt him this much. 

“Oh, Tommy,” The voice rang through the void, stirring an invisible wind around him. “Tommy…” it called, ringing with delight. “It’s time to wake up again, Tommy.” 

“No,” he whispered, trying to shake his head, but the void stole the words from his mouth, shrieking in protest as imaginary fingers wrapped tightly around his soul and  _ yanked.  _

The light of the lava burned his eyes when he opened them. His mouth felt dry, and his entire body ached with a phantom pain. 

Dream stood over him, a delighted grin on his face. “Tommy! Welcome back!” His hands were on his hips, and even as the teen watched, Dream’s shoulders shook with amusement at his own actions. “God, I just can’t believe it…” the dirty blonde shook his head, disbelieving. “How many times have I brought you back now? And it still hasn’t really sunk in.” 

Tommy shuffled a little closer to the wall, flinching as he felt the warm stone press against his back. His ears were still ringing, and everything was a little blurry, like he’d opened his eyes in muddy water. It was like his internal pressure had to reset, like he’d been yanked to the surface of a pool of water too quickly. If his lungs didn’t hurt so much right now, he’d be gasping for breath. 

Dream seemed to notice his lack of response. “Oh, right, right.” He rolled his eyes. “I’ll give you your five minutes, Tommy, don’t worry. You don’t have to tell me anything quite yet. Do you want me to hold you?” 

That sounded like the worst thing in the world. Tommy shook his head, closing his eyes at the way it made his ears hurt. 

He looked up at Dream hopefully, but the other man just frowned, clearly disappointed. “Yes, you do, Tommy.” He shook his head with a light  _ tut.  _ “It’s going to help you readjust faster, remember? Come here.” 

Dream walked over and slid down against the wall next to him, holding out his arms, and if Tommy had any strength left whatsoever he would have scrambled away from those clawed fingers, if he’d been able to jerk away from that suffocating grasp he would have slapped the older man away. Still, he shivered as he sunk into Dream’s arms, feeling pins and needles travel through his whole body. 

“Shh,” Dream whispered, stroking his hair, a small smile twitching at the corners of his lips. He began to card his fingers through Tommy’s hair softly, streaking it with bloody red. “You’re back now, Tommy. I’m here.” 

“Don’t like it,” he breathed out, trying to stop his chest from convulsing. He felt like he was going to throw up, but with nothing left in his stomach, the only thing he could expel from himself would be bile. His throat tingled and burned with the promise. 

“I know,” Dream replied, voice patronizing and demeaning. Tommy could hear the fake pout in his voice. “I know it feels like a lot, but you know this is for your own good, right?”

Tommy nodded a little, pushing down a whimper. His fingers had come to rest in the rough fabric of Dream’s shirt. He didn’t like the texture. 

“Use your words when you speak to me, Tommy,” Dream said, chastising. “Come on now, you know better than this.” 

The teen licked his lips, trying to coax the words Dream wanted to hear from his mouth. “I know it’s for my own good,” he parroted obediently, observing the way his cellmate’s shoulders eased, a bright smile resting on his face. 

“Good, that’s good, Tommy,” Dream practically cooed. “I’m so glad to have a friend as understanding as you.” 

Tommy shuddered, but he buried his head in Dream’s chest, relishing the feeling of being held in someone’s arms. He absolutely hated himself. 

“I know,” Dream repeated again. “It’s a lot. You’re putting yourself through so much right now.” 

“I don’t wanna do it again,” Tommy muttered softly. “Please, don’t make me do it again.” 

Dream tutted at that, looking up over the teen’s head to stare at the bubbling lava. “Tommy, come  _ on.  _ Really? After all this? I’ve been so nice to you, too. I didn’t have to comfort you every time you come back, I didn’t have to help you through your panic attacks. I didn’t even have to bring you back to begin with! I’m doing this because we’re friends. I’ve done so much for you, and you still only think about yourself.”

“Right,” Tommy whispered hollowly, “Of course.” 

The silence between them was filled with the dripping of the crying obsidian. 

“And what do we say when someone does something nice for us?” Dream gently prodded. 

“Thank you, Dream,” Tommy replied. 

“You’re welcome.” Dream clapped his hands together suddenly, ignoring the way Tommy flinched at the loud noise right next to his ears. “Okay! Your five minutes are up. What did Wilbur say?” 

He pulled himself away from Dream’s warmth in a state of internal conflict, his bones screaming as the cold seeped back inside of him. “He said he still doesn’t want to help you,” he whispered, preemptively flinching further away from the other man, not making eye contact. 

Dream let out an extended sigh, disappointment mixed with impatience mixed with something Tommy couldn’t quite identify and didn’t really want to. “Oh, Tommy…” the green eyed man said. 

He knew exactly what that meant. “No,” Tommy breathed out. “Please.” 

Dream tilted his head up from the floor with one scarred finger, locking eyes with the young boy. “You know what this means, Tommy. You’re going to have to try again.”

“Please,” Tommy begged again, searching Dream’s face, backing away from him. “ _ Don’t. _ ”

“Don’t tell me what to do,” Dream replied, giving him a chilling smile and flexing his bloody and bruised fingers. “You know better than to tell me what to do.” 

Tommy was shaking his head, trying to scramble to his feet, trying to get as far away from the other boy as possible. “Dream. Please! I don’t want to go back there!” His voice broke for a second, but Dream just got to his own feet, slowly, like he had all the time in the world. Technically, he did. Dream had all the time in the world to break him apart and stitch him back together over and over again. 

“Tommy,” Dream warned him sharply, coming closer. Once more, Tommy scrambled back, discoordinated and shaky after not being able to use his legs for so long. “Stop running from me.” 

He came to a jerky halt, body seizing against his will. 

“There we go,” Dream said with that same, blisteringly bright smile, getting a little closer. “That’s much better. Now… where were we?” 

There wasn’t anything to do but close his eyes. It was easier that way, he could already see the void behind his eyelids. 

Tommy blacked out after the first couple of hits. Dream’s last words echoed around inside of his skull; “Tell Wilbur I send my regards!”

\-----

The next time Tommy awoke, he fell into Dream’s arms without any prompting whatsoever, hugging the other man tightly and shaking at how terrible it felt to do so. 

**Author's Note:**

> Hope everyone is doing okay after today's stream, and having a good time. 
> 
> Drop a kudos if you enjoyed or comment if you want to scream into the void with me! <3


End file.
